Former Pitcher Julio Machado Sentenced to 12 Years For Murder

CARACAS, VENEZUELA CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) _ Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Julio Machado has been convicted of murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison, authorities said Thursday.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the 31-year-old reliever's lawyers this week and upheld a lower court's conviction in the December 1991 killing.

According to police, Machado shot secretary Edicta Vasquez, 23, in the head following a late-night accident between his car and a car in which Vasquez was a passenger. The accident occurred in Barquisimeto, 185 miles southwest of Caracas.

Machado has said he fired the shots in self-defense to scare off the occupants of the other car because he thought they may have been robbers.

``Never in my life did I intend to kill anyone,'' he said at a press conference just before his arrest in 1991.

Authorities said they expected to detain Machado shortly. He has been under provisional liberty. The Supreme Court decision cannot be appealed.

Machado broke into the majors in 1989 with the New York Mets, and was traded the next season to the Brewers. He was 3-3 in 54 games for Milwaukee in 1991.

In three years in the majors, he was 7-5 with six saves and a 3.12 ERA.